


Candles

by SelenaTerna



Series: Fluffuary Bingo Prompts [1]
Category: Doctor Who & Related Fandoms, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Bit silly really, Candles, F/M, Fluff, Fluffuary Bingo
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-19
Updated: 2017-02-19
Packaged: 2018-09-25 14:06:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,864
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9823859
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SelenaTerna/pseuds/SelenaTerna
Summary: The Doctor and Rose stop at a Valorian marketplace to do a little shopping. It's not quite what Rose is expecting.





	

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is my first entry for the Legends Like Stardust Fluffuary bingo card on Tumblr, using the 'candles' prompt.
> 
> It's a little silly, very fluffy and different from my usual full length fics in that there's no emotional angst or upheaval. As always, doing something different is a bit daunting, so here's hoping it turned out OK!
> 
> As always, if you have any questions or comments, come on over and say hi to me at http://countessselena.tumblr.com/.

Rose gazed around the buzzing market, amazed by its sheer size. “So what are we lookin’ for, then?”

“Candles!” The Doctor bounced excitedly on his toes.

She blinked. “Beg your pardon?”

“Candles, Rose, _candles_! It’s a candle market!”

She looked disbelievingly at the miles long stretch of booths. “You’re tellin’ me all they sell is candles? Nothing else?”

“Nope! Just candles! Tall candles, tiny candles, happy candles, musical candles- candles, Rose, _candles_!” 

“Right,” she said slowly. Had he seriously brought them all the way here just to buy _candles_? “So we’re goin’…candle shoppin’… for the day, are we?” 

“Yep!” he beamed, popping the ‘p’ as was his wont. Bouncing on his toes, he grabbed her hand and tugged her forward. “C’mon Rose- the candles are waiting!”

Her sigh was lost in the busy crowds.

++++++

Three hours later, Rose had to admit that the Valorian Candle Market was so much more interesting than she’d expected.

For one thing, not all of the candles were made out of wax. There were candles made of metal, candles made of glass, candles made of wood and candles made out of materials she’d never heard of. There were even edible candles made out of different types of food!

And Valorian candles were so much more interesting than any candle she’d ever seen. There were candles made with perfumes, candles that played music and sang to you, and candles that flickered a series pictures over and over, almost like a movie. There were candles made to be life size statues and candles that changed shape and colour as they burned.

Rose had lasted all of five minutes before reaching for her credit stick, pointedly ignoring the Doctor’s smug smirk.

Now, laden with a heap of packages, she was more than ready for lunch. Shading her eyes against the bright sunlight, she looked around for the Doctor, before spotting his trademark pinstripes at a large stall in the middle of the market. 

As she drew close, she heard him pleading with the vendor and tried to suppress a smile at his plaintive tone. For a mighty Time Lord, he could sound remarkably like a disgruntled eight-year old. 

“But can’t you make another one? Please, I’ve always wanted one and _every single time_ I come here, it’s already gone _!_ ”

“I only make the one, Doctor, you know that. Come back after the next moon cycle and I will have another.”

Rose suppressed a laugh as she watched the nine hundred year old Time Lord pout at the placid old vendor.

“But that’s what you said last time! And I came back and I _still_ didn’t get it because someone else got it first- _again_!”

“It was not to be,” the old man said placidly. “Perhaps the next will fall to your lot.”

The Doctor sighed, bowed his head to the old man and slouched away. He shoved his hands into his pockets and stood dejectedly a few feet from the stall, watching the vendor sell his wares.

Stifling a giggle, Rose strolled up to him. “What’s wrong Doctor?”

He sighed, looking petulantly at the stall. “It’s not there, Rose. I’ve missed out again.”

“Missed out on what?”

“My candle, Rose!”

“Know _that_.” She sighed. “What _kind_ of candle, Doctor? What’s so special about it?”

“Doesn’t matter,” he sulked. “Since I can’t have it. C’mon, let’s go back to the TARDIS. This planet’s dull.”

She rolled her eyes at his dramatics. “’M hungry, Doctor. Thought it might be nice to have lunch at that little café place over there.”

“Grazer,” he corrected absently, still staring woefully at the stall. “They’re called ‘Grazers’ here.” 

“Right, so let’s go to this Grazer, then.” Seeing that he wasn’t responding, she poked him. “Doctor?”

“What? Right. Food. _Allons-y._ ”

With a last, longing look at the stall, he turned and shuffled off towards the Grazer. 

Rose watched him go, shaking her head. He was acting just like Lockie, Shareen’s younger brother, when his mum had refused to buy him the new Game Boy.

She looked at the stand for a moment, wondering what it was that the Doctor was sulking over. The stall had some amazing things- why didn’t he like any of those? She’d bought a fair few things there herself- gifts for her mum and the Doctor and few things for her own room. Honestly, the man sold the most amazing fruit candles. They looked and smelled _real_.

Fruit candles.

She stopped dead as it struck her, and then started to laugh. She knew exactly what the Doctor had been after, and it was just too funny.

 _A banana candle._  

He’d brought them all the way to this planet so he could buy a _banana candle_ , and now that he couldn’t have it, he was sulking. Not that he’d admit it, of course, but he was sulking. Thinking of the present she’d bought him earlier, she chortled. He was going to go totally mental- especially when he found out just who had bought his beloved banana candle. 

Choking back her laughter, she took off after the Doctor and found him sitting dejectedly at a small wooden table, muttering to himself. 

“Oh, come on, Doctor,” she grinned, slipping into a chair and dropping her packages on the ground. “Like the bloke said, you can come back next cycle an’ get your candle. No need to mope.”

“Valorian cycles are twelve earth weeks long,” he sniffed. “That’s _ages_.”

“Two words, Doctor: _Time_. _Machine_.”

“I know that!” he grumbled. “And I’m not _moping_ , thank you very much Rose Tyler. I’m manfully contemplating! Regally regretting! Deliberating with dignity! I’m-”

“Moping,” she cut in. “ _Textbook_ moping, Doctor.” 

He looked so indignant that she couldn’t help but giggle and drop a kiss on his cheek.

“Silly Time Lord.”

If anything, he looked even more offended. “ _Silly?”_

“Oh come off it Doctor. Look, why don’t we eat and then we can go back to the TARDIS, an’ if you still want to, we can just land in the next cycle.”

He looked slightly mollified. “Weeeeellllll…”

“You can have half of my banana pudding,” she wheedled.

 In spite of himself, a smile spread across his face. “Only half?”

Rose grinned, tongue touching her teeth. “Yep, _half_ , cos I know you’ll order your own.”

“Brilliant idea! Always with the bright ideas, Rose Tyler.” He beamed and tapped at the electronic menu, obviously eager to get his banana pudding.

As Rose busied herself with the menu, she tried to not grin.

The Doctor was in for a surprise.

+++++++ 

Later that night, Rose made her way to library for their customary nighttime reading, clutching her surprise behind her back.

“Rose! What took you so long?” The Doctor was waiting on their usual couch, reading glasses on and their autographed copy of the Goblet of Fire open on his lap.

She tried to ignore how delicious he looked wearing his glasses and sat down beside him. “Mum called. She was telling me about Bev’s new bloke- apparently, he’s a right wanker and mum was complainin’ about him for ages.”

“Oh, right.” He shuddered. “Hopefully he’ll be out of the picture by our next visit. Don’t want a Jackie Tyler dissertation on Bev’s latest pull.”

 She poked him.

“Oi! What was that for?” He rubbed his side indignantly. 

She cocked an eyebrow at him and he took the hint, clearing his throat and moving hurriedly on.

“Right, then. Back to good old JK! Are you ready for some serious inter-house rivalry, Rose Tyler?”

 “Actually, before we start, I wanted to give you something.” She pulled the package out and handed it to him. “Got it for you today.” 

“A present! For me?” He beamed. “What is it? Oooooh is it a trans-dimensional molecular detector?”

She snorted. “Yeah, course it is. They usually sell ‘em at candle markets.” She poked him. “Just open it, Doctor!”

‘Right!” With that, he tore into the package. Eying the white box on his lap, he sniffed appreciatively. “Smells good. That’s a nice smelling box, Rose.”

She rolled her eyes. “Open the box, Doctor.”

“Quite right.” Wrenching the lid off he box, he burrowed through the copious wrapping paper until he managed to find his present. He carefully pulled out the lifelike banana candle and his expression was priceless.

“Rose,” he whispered. “Is this- is _that_ \- is it-”

“A genuine Valorian banana candle? The only one made this cycle, apparently?” She grinned. “Yup, reckon it is.”

“Oh, _Rose_ ,” he breathed, stroking the candle reverently. “Look at it. It’s magnificent! Glorious!” He turned to her, eyes wide. “You really bought this for _me_?”

“Yep,” she beamed. “Got it just for you.”

“Oh, I’ve always wanted one. Mine. It’s _finally_ mine!” He beamed. “Rose Tyler, you wonderful, magnificent little human, you!”

“Might get that in writing,” she smirked. “So I can wave it at you the next time you feel like telling me off.” 

“No telling off!” he breathed, still staring at the banana candle. “I’ve been trying to get one of these since my fifth body! Rose, for this brilliance, I’d let you use my fifty-fourth century Ligurian hair gel! For a week!”

Biting back her laughter at what he obviously thought was a generous offer, she snuggled into him, looking at the candle. “’S a pretty nice candle, innit?”

“Nice? _Nice?_ ” He looked offended. “This is more than _nice_! It’s _art_ , Rose! This belongs in a museum, alongside other great works of art! Near the Mona Lisa or David! Or your statue!” 

She giggled at the thought of the statue of Fortuna holding a banana. “Dunno if the museum would like that.”

“Pffffft, curators, what do they know? Stuffy bunch, curators.” He stroked the banana lovingly. “This beauty would be _wasted_ on them. I- what are you laughing at Rose?”

“Nothin’.” She bit her lip and tried to keep her laughter in. “Did you just stroke the banana candle?”

“Of course not! Time Lords have two thousand nerves in their fingertips, Rose- I’m _examining_ my banana candle. Taking its likeness. Learning its shape! Does feel nice though. Very banana-like.” He blinked at her. “Would you like to feel my banana, Rose?”

Rose shook with suppressed laughter. “Are you sure, Doctor?”

“Of course I’m sure. You’re the only one I trust to touch my banana.”

A small squeak escaped her at that and she bit down hard on her lip.

He licked the candle and hummed thoughtfully. “Tastes brilliant, too. Proper Valorian banana candle, that. Could probably eat it, frankly, but of course I’d never do that because then I’d have to wait centuries to get another one, knowing my luck and they’re so hard to get and really it’s so lovely, far too lovely to destroy and besides I could always…Rose, what are you laughing at? Rose? Why are you laughing? Roooooose? Roooooooose!”

Unable to hold it in any longer, she laughed until she cried. 

+++++++++ 

That night, the Doctor fell asleep on the couch clutching his precious banana candle in one hand and his beloved Rose in the other. Rose fell asleep cuddled into her beloved Doctor.

The TARDIS watched over them both: her precious wolf and her beloved thief.

And his candle.


End file.
